Much to our surprise we have been informed by our estate agent that my Cromer the law firm I have appointed is not on the mortgage company Conveyancing panel. What can I do to be sure if this is correct?
The first thing you need to do is to contact your Cromer lawyer directly. It is reasonable to expect your lawyer to advise you of the situation. If they are not on the panel they may be able to suggest a Cromer conveyancing practice that is on the approved list of lawyers for your mortgage company.
Do the conveyancing lawyers listed on your site conduct auction conveyancing in Cromer?
We know of a few auction lawyers we can put you in touch with those specialising in auction conveyancing. Cromer is just one of the many areas of where our lawyers cover.
I have today made my last payment due on my mortgage with Barclays. I assume I don't need a Cromer conveyancing practitioner on the Barclays panel to discharge the mortgage at the Land Registry. Please confirm.
If you have finished paying off your Barclays mortgage, they may send you evidence showing that you have paid it off. Alternatively they may notify the Land Registry directly. The Land Registry need to see this evidence before they will remove the Barclays mortgage from the register. Barclays, and any evidence they send you, will determine the action you need to take. In cases where no conveyancer is acting for you and you have paid off your mortgage:
- but are not moving to another property
- where Barclays has sent the Land Registry the discharge electronically, and
- Barclays has instructed the Land Registry to do so
I am currently in the process of buying my council flat in Cromer. I have a mortgage agreed with Aldermore. Conveyancing is new to me. Can I proceed without a solicitor easily? I think we can but we keep being told I should use one. Any advice?
It is not advisable to proceed with a house purchase without a solicitor. The council's solicitor are not acting for you. You need a solicitor for a number reasons. One of which is to verify what plans the Council have for repairs and refurbishment for the next five years. Many leaseholders have been stung for contributions of thousands of pounds. In any event, if you are getting a mortgage with Aldermore, you will need to appoint a solicitor on the Aldermore conveyancing panel.
I had an offer accepted on a property in Cromer on 5/8/2024, valuation was booked 4 days after, all came back fine. Conveyancer appointed, so the only thing outstanding was my mortgage offer. Having made daily calls to Co-operative and chasing them on my offer, I have now been told that my offer will not be issued unless the lawyer is on the Co-operative conveyancing panel. Are Co-operative entitled to hold back the Mortgage pending the lawyer being on the approved list?
A lender would not issue an offer until they have details of a lawyer on their panel. It can take a few weeks for Co-operative to deal with your lawyer's application to be on the Co-operative conveyancing panel. There's no guarantee that your solicitor will be accepted.
How does conveyancing in Cromer differ for new build properties?
Most buyers of new build residence in Cromer come to us having been asked by the seller to exchange contracts and commit to the purchase even before the property is ready to move into. This is because house builders in Cromer usually purchase the site, plan the estate and want to get the plots sold off as they are building the properties. Buyers, therefore, will have to exchange contracts without actually seeing the house they are buying. To reduce the chances of losing the property, buyers should instruct property lawyers as soon as the property is reserved and mortgage applications should be submitted quickly. Due to the fact that it could be several months and even years between exchange of contracts and completion, the mortgage offer may need to be extended. It would be wise to use a lawyer who specialises in new build conveyancing especially if they are used to new build conveyancing in Cromer or who has acted in the same development.
Am I better off to go with a Cromer conveyancing lawyer based in the location that I am purchasing? I have an old university friend who can carry out the conveyancing however his firm is located 200kilometers drive away.
The primary upside of using a local Cromer conveyancing practice is that you can visit the firm to execute documents, hand in your ID and apply pressure on them if necessary. Having local Cromer know how is a plus. That being said it's more important to get someone that will do a good and efficient job. If if people you trust used your friend and in the main were impressed that must outweigh using an unfamiliar Cromer conveyancing lawyer just because they are based in the area.
I am employed by a long established estate agency in Cromer where we have experienced a few flat sales derailed as a result of short leases. I have been given inconsistent advice from local Cromer conveyancing firms. Can you clarify whether the seller of a flat can commence the lease extension process for the purchaser on completion of the sale?
Provided that the seller has owned the lease for at least 2 years it is possible, to serve a Section 42 notice to commence the lease extension process and assign the benefit of the notice to the purchaser. This means that the buyer can avoid having to wait 2 years to extend their lease. Both sets of lawyers will agree to form of assignment. The assignment needs to be completed before, or simultaneously with completion of the sale.
An alternative approach is to extend the lease informally by agreement with the landlord either before or after the sale. If you are informally negotiating there are no rules and so you cannot insist on the landlord agreeing to grant an extension or transferring the benefit of an agreement to the purchaser.
Cromer Conveyancing for Leasehold Flats - A selection of Questions you should ask Prior to Purchasing
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How much is the yearly service fee and ground rent? Are any of leasehold owners in dispute over their service charge payments? Many Cromer leasehold flats will be liable to pay a service charge for maintenance of the building set on behalf of the landlord. Where you buy the flat you will have to pay this contribution, usually quarterly accross the year. This can differ from a few hundred pounds to thousands of pounds for blocks with lifts and large communal grounds. In all likelihood there will be a rentcharge to be met annual, this is usually not a significant amount, say about £50-£100 but you should to check as sometimes it could be surprisingly expensive.